Quote of the day

A day without sunshine is like night. - Unknown

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Some of the best quotes are just obvious things no one ever thought about saying out loud. Often I feel that way as I write. When I re-read a piece that I'm working on I have to deal with the reality that this has been said before by a hundred different people and they have said it better than I could. But it's not about the obvious, it's really about sharing our lives, thoughts and hearts with each other. Words are the best way we have to let others into who we are and help each other with our own lives. Often the words are obvious things, but meet a clear need of the moment. Lift is pretty simple- we are each broken people who need three things- 1. God, 2. salvation and, 3. other people. All the rest is just the stuff that helps us through each day. Solomon said, "we all work for our stomachs." But it's more than that....we live and work for significance. We want to matter, to make a difference. We want to leave a mark on this planet when we leave....but the only eternal mark any of us will ever make is in the lives of other people. People are the only eternal things you will ever encounter. All the rest will burn up, so work on the basics....God, your relationship with him and other people. That's the obvious statement of the day, but we all need to be reminded. Today I'm writing this for me. I hope it helps you too.

The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken

I mentioned these images before, but had not seen this video until now. The vastness of the universe is amazing to me. It's almost more than our minds can comprehend.....and yet its origin is described by the creator as almost an afterthought when he says, Gen 1:16 "God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also." With only 5 words God describes the creation of something so vast we cannot imagine it. I like knowing God is this big.....it helps me in my world to have a God big enough to handle my problems and yet personal enough that he would become a man to save me. What an awesome God!

The unmentionable three-letter word

This afternoon I read an interesting article in the Jerusalem Post. Here is a portion of the article by Emanuel Feldman....

The unmentionable three-letter word

By EMANUEL FELDMAN

"It is somehow difficult to fathom how we - who gave monotheism to the world, and in modern times miraculously returned to our homeland after a hiatus of 2,000 years, defeating the millions of enemies all around us in one war after another while building up a lovely and prosperous land despite the animosity of much of the world, one that leads the world in scientific, intellectual and technological advances - how after all this, we should have become so skittish about invoking the name of God."

As I read this paragraph by Mr. Feldman I thought about my own faith community, the Christian church, and must honestly admit we too have been brought to silence by the culture around us. There is almost an embarrassment about being a Christian in our culture, community and workplace, and so we rarely mention God in public. It's as if the culture has challenged our right to an open and passionate faith and dialogue about God, and we have bowed to their challenges, so now most of us only mention God in our faith communities.

What happened to a bold faith about a big God?

What happened to a real belief in heaven and hell?

What happened to sin?

Has the culture silenced us so effectively that, like the Jewish culture of Israel today, we are too embarrassed to talk about our God and our faith?

Do we really believe the Bible and its message or are we embarrassed to admit we believe in God?

It would seem to be true that Christians have caved to the secular culture in our part of the world as well. This article has challenged me. I want to intentionally live my faith boldly and talk about my God freely. In a culture where everyone claims the right to their own truth why are we ashamed to proclaim our faith in the one true God?

The wonderful church bulletin

What would we do without the church bulletin? We get all the news of the week, all the events we need to know, and an ongoing source of smiles. I know....I've written some funny bloopers myself. Here are few I got from a friend...

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Christian Apologetics (Story of Ignatius) - Lee Strobel

Optimism is the cure for the downturn

Viewpoint by Sir David Tang, Entrepreneur

Pessimism is the most serious cause for the global economic tsunami.

"It is only with a sense of optimism, preferably accompanied by a sense of energy and laughter, that we will be able to pick ourselves up from a broken Humpty Dumpty." -Sir David Tang

There is an ocean of people who are now feeling so depressed that not only have they become resigned to the fact that they are in deep trouble, but they have told everybody else that they are also in deep trouble.


Pessimism has an uncanny knack of being self-fulfilling.


No wonder almost every single quoted share in the world has gone down significantly, mostly by half, if not much more.


Even the most solid companies, such as HSBC, which has no real exposure; or BP, which has significant oil reserves; or a company like Dell, which has an enormous amount of cash - the shares of these companies have traded down considerably.
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That is the barometer of our general pessimism." -BBC News
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Paul wrote similar words to the Christians of his day. Paul put it this way,
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Col 3:1-4- So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
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A man with the right heart

This morning in my reading I came to 1 Samuel 16. Chapter 15 tells the story of Saul's disobedience to God's command and his rejection as king. In this amazing chapter are these words spoken by Samuel,

1Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."

To obey is better than sacrifice.....each time I read these words I have to stop and think about it for a moment. How badly we want to define the rules of faith...what we will and won't do for God, but what he wants is simple obedience. It's not hard, but we want to do it our way and God will have none of it. It's his way or not at all. He's looking for a people that will desire most of all to simply follow, worship and obey him. And so, as chapter 16 opens God goes on the search for just such a man...and he finds one. He finds a little shepherd boy whose name has become part of world history. He finds David. But in the search Samuel is still looking for the tall, the strong, the leader "looking" man. And here's what God says to Samuel in response...they are sobering words, chilling if you really think about them....he says,

1Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

God does not see as we see...he's looking at hearts, we look at strength, good looks, personality, leadership skills. "But the Lord looks at the heart." What a sobering statement that is....he's looking for hearts that want to follow him, that want to serve him, that want to worship him. Why do we spend so much time focused on the wrong things? Why do we invest so much of our lives on our looks, our weight, our clothes? I know these are important, but in the process we have for the most part ignored the most important thing. We have ignored the heart. God's in the heart business, but we find ourselves in the world of externals...looks, heights, hair, weight, smile and a hundred other things that are, at best, temporary. Suddenly, as I read this passage I find that I am, like Samuel, focusing my attention on the wrong things. But you ask, how can we see hearts? We can't. That's not really the point. If you know that God does see our hearts why aren't we investing more time into our "heart development and training?" Why aren't we cultivating a heart that seeks after God instead of wealth, looks, popularity, success? It's interessting to realize that this chapter 16 is between 15 and 17. I know...real obvious, huh? But here's what interesting to me- chapter 17 is the chapter that speaks of David and Goliath. When everyone else is focused on the externals and are fearful to the point of inaction because of them, David, the man with a different heart, is ready to take on the giant! The man after God's own heart is ready for the task ahead because he has cultivated a relationship with a God who is big enough to handle the giants.

I wish I was more heart focused than I am. I know it would change how I view my own giants. I know they would seem much smaller in comparison to a big God. Since God is looking at hearts I think I will make my focus the same thing....where's my heart? What are my affections? Who do I want to please? Do I have a heart that seeks after God most of all? I have a lot of work to do on me, but I'm doing it...bit by bit....looking at the things that God looks at, caring about what he cares about, working on the important things.

A personal comment on this blog

I know my content of late has been rather light.....I apologize for my busy schedule, but hope to be engaged and back at a good writing pace soon. Don't give up on me....I'll get back in the writing groove this week. Thanks for staying with me.

An eyebrow raising video!

Ok, ok.....I'm sorry. I just had to share this with you....it's Monday!

History of world religions

Joye and I are in the middle of a course on world missions and in my search for material I found this graphic. It was interesting to see how the religions of the world grew over time. One thing I knew, but never thought much about, was the fact that most of us follow our parent's faith. I am glad to have found Christ as my savior early in life. More and more I'm becoming focused on missions and those who live in places where they have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. I am wondering what God will do with Joye and I as we serve him together. Getting interested in missions is a dangerous thing......you never know what might happen.

Monday's cartoon

I love dumb humor like this. It's just so bad it makes you smile even though you have heard the joke a hundred times. So, since it's cold and rainy today here's something to make you groan and smile. Have a great day.

fish

Just something fun for a Sunday night.....

A coffee addict

I just recently got a new coffee roaster. It has taken a few tries to get it right, but I think I have the hang of it now. Each roaster has its own little nuances, and this one is no different. I am excited about this roaster because it will roast a whole pound each time. One of the amazing things about coffee is the difference between what you buy at the store or at a coffee bar compared to fresh roasted coffee. It's hard to describe the difference....it's the contrast between a good steak and a bad hamburger. I just got a new bean in the mail yesterday and roasted some this evening for a friend. We sat in the garage where I have the roaster set up and visited while his coffee roasted. It's a great experience....the smells, the sounds, the look of the bean.....and then you get to grind the bean and drink the amazing result of your work. We are drinking some of my work this evening and it's great. I am grateful for wonderful little blessing like this and the joy of sharing it with others who really want to experience a great cup of coffee. Even little things like this are blessings from God. I wonder....could all this coffee be keeping me up at night?

What are you looking at?

A lot of life is all about what you are looking at...how you see things.

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Do you see the problems or the opportunity?

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Do you see the wall or the window?

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Are you overwhelmed by worries and missing the joys?

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What are you looking at? What are you focused on? I must often follow David's example in Psalms and intentionally change my focus. If I focus on the "wall" (my problem) I get depressed, discouraged, and can't see what God is doing, but if I look out the "window" I see beyond my own knowledge and abilities and am able to see God at work.....then everything changes. For me the word of God is like that window, it's gives me a new, expanded, different and amazing view on my situation. God's word and his work in it gives me a vision of what's possible beyond my wall. Here's an example of David's own change of heart because of his change of vision as he finds himself looking at a wall....

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Psa 42:1-8- For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.

Amazing people

There are some amazing people in the world, and I'm thrilled to have met many. One of the things that always intrigues me is how many of these most amazing people around us aren't looking for glory or recognition....they are just doing what they think is most important and almost by accident they become one of the amazing people we all talk about.
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One of the ladies in our church, Debbie Sardone, owns a cleaning/maid service in our area and she has been cleaning homes for women recovering from cancer for free. From her own company came the desire to make this available to others and so Debbie started a national non-profit ministry that now has hundreds of cleaning services doing the same thing. This morning Debbie was on television being interviewed about this organization she started, Cleaning for a Reason, and talking about this ministry to women whose very lives are in question due to the cancer they battle. I just wanted you to know about this most amazing woman I know, Debbie Sardone.